http://www.nycfoodie.com/nycfoodie/index.php http://www.nycfoodie.com/nycfoodie/index.php?entry=entry081230-024632
I would have to say that 2008 has been the year of the "Bar". Wine bars, ramen noodle bars, gastropubs, and cocktail dens, have been popping up all over NYC. As someone who loves great drinks as well as great food, this has thus been a very good year for the NYC FOODIE!

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by my site. Looking ahead to 2009 be prepared to see videos and most likely the NYC FOODIE on TV!

I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! And with that, let's take a look at my favorites of 2008.

BON APPETIT!

Top 5 Best Meals of 2008

1. Every meal I had at Momofuku Ssam Bar. This is my favorite restaurant in NYC, and my mind is blown every time I eat here! The flavors and textures of each dish are phenomenal! (I'm still dying to go to Momofuku Ko!)

2. Omakase at Sushi of Gari. I've had the Omakase (10 pieces of sushi-chef's choice for $55) at Sushi of Gari (there are 3 in NYC) a few times this year and every time the sushi is sublime and outstanding!

3. The Little Owl. I revisited The Little Owl this year after a 2-year hiatus and it has not missed a beat! It is one of the best all round restaurants in NYC.

4. Tasting Menu at Le Cirque. There are many old school restaurants I have not been to, but luckily I was able to have a tasting menu (along with my younger sister) at Le Cirque this year, and it was great!

5. Tasting Menu at San Domenico. San Domenico is another old school top restaurant I got to dine at this year, (again, with my younger sister-what a lucky gal!) and had the honor of having their tasting menu. It was a fantastic meal. They are relocating to Madison Square Park and I look forward to dining in their new space next year!

Top 5 Dishes of 2008

1. Spicy Pork Sausage and Rice Cakes with chinese brocoli and crispy shallots from Momofuku Ssam Bar. The epitome of the dishes here, with amazing flavors and textures!

2. Scrambled Eggs topped with caviar from Le Cirque. The best scrambled eggs I've ever had!

3. Roasted Free Range Chicken with swiss chard, dumplings, white pearls, wild mushrooms and bacon from Dressler (in Brooklyn). This is the best chicken dish I've ever had. I'm not one who orders chicken at restaurants usually, but this dish still lingers in my mind!

4. Gravy Meatball Sliders with beef, pork, veal, and pecorino from The Little Owl. Orgasmic is all I need to say!

5. Fried Chicken "Blue Ribbon Style" with wasabi and honey from Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill. This was some great fried chicken with a kick!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!]]> http://www.nycfoodie.com/nycfoodie/index.php?entry=entry081229-053146
I decided to finally write about my most recent Momofuku experience (there have been many- all phenomenal) because I think it is about time, and I just downright love them. I think both Momofuku Noodle bar and Ssam are ideal for solo dining, and are definitely two of the best restaurants in NYC to dine alone at. With their long wooden communal bars for dining, they’re just perfect!

I have eaten Momofuku Noodle Bar’s Momofuku Ramen many, many times, and I think it is the best ramen noodle dish in NYC. Ramen noodle restaurants have been popping up all over recently, many in the East village, and some are very good. But I still think Noodle Bar’s is the best, for their tasty and well seasoned broth, ingredients, and great Berkshire pork.

On this most recent visit I noticed the menu had changed a bit. The menu is now written on two chalkboards, the dishes are different, and unfortunately, the prices are higher. I started with two snacks; the Soy Sauce Egg ($2) and the Seven Spiced Potato Chips.

The potato chips were crispy, tasty, well seasoned, and a nice snack. I thought it was a somewhat odd dish to have on the menu, but it was just a snack, and when I look back on it, they were probably some of the best chips I have ever had. They did not blow my mind, but as far as potato chips go, they were pretty darn good!



The Soy Sauce egg did blow my mind! Never did I think a hard boiled egg could blow my mind, but leave it to Mr. David Chang and the chefs at Momofuku , and they did just that. This little egg was phenomenal! Marinated in a red wine vinaigrette, ginger, and soy sauce, and topped with crispy shallots and chives, the dish is the epitome of all the dishes I have had at both Momofuku restaurants. The flavor was amazing and the texture, with the crispiness and softness, was perfect.



For my main dish I got the Ginger Scallion dressed noodles ($11) with seasonal vegetables and Berkshire pork ($3 extra). I really enjoyed this dish, for the amazing flavor and play on texture.



Both Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam are phenomenal restaurants. If you enjoy food with amazing, unique flavors and a play on texture, you must go. Just be prepared to get your mind blown! And please, buckle-up, it’ll be quite the culinary ride.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave (bet. 10th and 11th)
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave (at 13th St.)
New York, NY 10003
www.momofuku.com


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Not only does Haven have a great cocktail list, but they have an international menu of small plates as well. So of course, in NYC FOODIE fashion, I just had to try the food!

I actually really liked the menu because each dish came from a different part of the world or part of the US; it was a culinary trip around the world. I went with the Duck and Fois Gras Meatballs ($17) and the Lobster Risotto ($23).

The Duck and Fois Gras Meatballs came with winter vegetables and a duck reduction. They were very delicate and delicious. I absolutely loved the duck reduction, which was both soothing and seductive!



The Lobster Risotto came with chanterelles, white truffle oil, and parmesan reggiano. This was also a great dish. The risotto was perfectly cooked and the chunks of lobster were perfect, which made for an addictive dish. It also had a nice little kick to it that was nice.



I love eating great food all over NYC. I love getting drinks all over NYC too. When you can match great drinks and great food in one spot, then I am in NYC FOODIE heaven! Haven is that heaven; an extremely sexy heaven!

Haven
244 E. 51st St. (bet. 2nd and 3rd)
New York, NY 10022
212-906-9066
www.havennewyork.com
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The place is small, with just one long communal table and the bar. It has a very laid back and comfortable feel, typical of most places in the East Village.

I luckily walked in with Mr. Grieco, (who I recognized outside, because I have the ability to recognize most personalities in the NYC restaurant industry) and I had him recommend what I should order.

I took his recommendations and went with the Hearts of Bibb Lettuce salad ($7) and the fried Sage Leaves with lamb sausage ($7). He paired these dishes with a unique Hungarian wine, which was wonderful.

The Hearts of Bibb Lettuce came with creamy garlic vinaigrette and bread crumbs. It was tasty, refreshing, and crunchy. I'm not a huge salad eater, but it was a nice start.



The fried Sage Leaves with lamb sausages were great! The lamb was juicy and succulent, and the wrapped fried sage leaves around them gave it the perfect crisp.



After these two little bites I decided to grab another bite and went with the fried Beet Risotto Balls with gorgonzola cheese ($7). (Too be honest, I initially thought it said "Beef" instead of "Beet" so my first thought was "Wow this beef tastes like beets!") The gorgonzola was the perfect complement for the beets, and both flavors were equally strong.



Terroir is the perfect wine bar. It has an amazing selection of unique and great wine, as well as a great menu of small bites to pair with the wine. The prices are not expensive too. It is definitely one of my favorite wine bars in all of NYC!

Terroir
413 E. 12th St. (at 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10009
646-602-1300
www.wineisterroir.com
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Supermac
348 7th Avenue (bet. 29th and 30th)
New York, NY 10001
212-760-1900
www.supermacnyc.com]]> http://www.nycfoodie.com/nycfoodie/index.php?entry=entry081215-182553
It's an interesting space with an automatic door that lets you into the narrow bar area up front with the dining room in back. From the ceiling hangs an abundant amount of samurai swords, and the booths are black leather. It feels like you are in the underground lair/lounge of a Japanese warrior (a warrior that enjoys steak).

I had the Diver Scallop and Braised American "Kobe" Short Rib ($26), the American "Kobe" Beef Cheek Ravioli ($24), and the Kobe Beef Sliders ($27).

The short rib dish, which came with roasted chanterelle mushrooms, was perfectly cooked, tender, juicy, well-seasoned, decadent, and delicious. I didn't even need the diver scallop on top, which was an added bonus.



The beef cheek ravioli came in a truffle broth and had a black truffle on top of each ravioli. It was a very rich and decadent dish. I had never tasted a dish where the flavor of truffles was so strong. It was new and enjoyable.



The kobe beef sliders were juicy and perfect. They came with onion, tomato, gruyere cheese, shitake mushroom, and a miso mayo. Delicious!



There was also a basket of cheesy bread that was really tasty and addictive.



Kobe Club is a great place to go to indulge in decadence. With delicious and addictive food, I say screw the economy, go for it! If you are on a budget though, they are running a winter $35 prix fixe menu, where you get an appetizer, entree, and dessert (a $125 value).

Kobe Club
68 W. 58th St. (between 5th and 6th)
New York, NY 10019
212-644-5623
http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/kobeClub/
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The place is on the medium to small size, with only 45 seats, a few seats at the bar, and six seats in the back at the chefs counter, overlooking the open kitchen. I was immediately drawn to those seats, which I love for solo dining, but unfortunately they were all taken, so I took a seat at the bar.

I started with an order of three bruschette ($10). They give you a basket of the bruschette and you choose what you want to put on it. I went with the soft-scrambled egg with bottarga, the tonnato with fennel and lemon, and the ricotta with sea salt. I really enjoyed this starter. It all tasted great and I think it is a really fun way to start a meal!



For my entree I went with the Pizzoccheri ($17), one of their pastas made in-house. It came with speck, savoy cabbage, potatoes, and smoked ricotta. The pasta was really well cooked and I enjoyed the saltiness the speck and smoked ricotta lent to the dish. I never had savoy cabbage in a pasta dish, and I actually was not a fan of it in the dish, for it was soggy, and could have done without it. Everything else worked well and it was a soothing dish.



I think dell'anima is a great place for good wine and good Italian fare. The prices are pretty good too. I will say that the place is extremely loud, so if you are looking for intimate conversation I would not go here. But for fun Italian eats in the West Village, it is a great spot!

dell'anima
38 8th Avenue (at Jane st.)
New York, NY 10014
212-366-6633
www.dellanima.com]]> http://www.nycfoodie.com/nycfoodie/index.php?entry=entry081201-044428
The place is really sexy, with walls and chairs of red. They also have the most amazing patio in NYC, great for dining alfresco in spring and summer.

We decided to get the five-course tasting menu ($69) so we could truly explore this different way of eating. All the dishes were beautiful and looked like works of art.

One standout included the Winter Salad of Mache, Frisee and Wild Arugula in Walnut Birch Vinaigrette which came with Long Island apples, candied walnuts, and tea smoked cashew cheese. This was a great salad because not only did everything complement each other perfectly, but that tea smoked cashew cheese was absolutely mind-blowing. There is no use of dairy in vegan cooking, and this cashew cheese really tasted like cheese, yet it was made of cashews. Also, I’m normally not a fan of walnuts, but the candied walnuts tasted great and gave the salad a delicious crunch.



The appetizer of Asparagus Sushi Rolls with Mirin Soaked Forest Mushrooms with avocado, red pepper, sweet basil, and pepper gastrique was excellent. I have had this dish before and it is always great. After finishing the rolls you completely forget that there was no fish in them.



The White Corn Tamales with Raw Cacao Mole came with marinated mushrooms, salsa verde and avocado. I’m not a huge tamale eater, but it is safe to say this was the best I’ve ever had. All the flavors were delicious and it was an addictive dish.



One dish that blew my mind was the Winter Vegatable Tagine with Ceylon Cinnamon Date Cous-Cous with preserved cucumbers, olive flatbreads, and cheese stuffed picholine olives. This was probably the least attractive of the dishes, but the flavor combinations were superb. It was very unique and tasty.



Probably the most popular dish at Pure Food and Wine, and one I had enjoyed in the past, is the Zucchini and Local Hothouse Tomato Lasagna with basil pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato sauce, and pinoli ricotta. Thinly cut pieces of zucchini take the place of pasta, a unique vegetarian take on this Italian staple. This dish is refreshing, a work of art, and ingenious.



You don’t want to miss out on dessert at Pure Food and Wine either. The Trio of Dark Chocolate Coated Indian Spiced Ice Cream Treats, which came with a chocolate cardamom coconut ice cream cone, pistachio gelato ice cream sandwich, and a chai tea creamsicle, was amazing! Like most of the food here, it was addictive and mind-blowing! (They don’t use dairy- the ice cream is made of coconut- I still cannot believe it!)



Pure Food and Wine is just like the Zucchini Lasagna dish: ingenious and refreshing. After every meal I eat here I feel rejuvenated, energized, refreshed, and healthy. The food here is superb and it is obvious much time and care goes into preparing each dish. The front of the menu states “Organic ingredients and handcrafted flavors that rejuvenate the body, mind and planet” and I couldn’t agree more. Dining at Pure Food and Wine can be a life-changing experience, and what better time for a change than now?

Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Place (at 17th St.)
New York, NY 10003
212-477-1010
www.purefoodandwine.com
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I actually first went by myself to Socarrat last Saturday, but the host said that the paella is meant for two people, so I decided to come back with a friend. It is a narrow space with one long black communal bar for dining.

We decided to order one of the tapas they had, for we were told the paella takes 35 minutes to make. We went with the fried artichokes ($9). I really enjoyed the flaky texture and the lightness to them, although I wished the flavor of the artichokes came out more.



We decided to get the seafood paella ($23 a person), which came with chunks of fish, shrimp, cuttlefish, mussels, clams, squid, and scallops. I thought the seafood and the rice were well cooked and had a nice juiciness. Unfortunately the entire dish was extremely bland. Both my dining companion and myself thought the dish needed a lot of salt and some sort of kick to it. We were disappointed.



Will I give this place another chance? Maybe. I would consider trying another one of their paellas, maybe one with chorizo, that would give the dish the needed kick. But for $23 a person, it had better not be bland. I want a good bang for my buck!

Socarrat Paella Bar
259 W. 19th St. (bet. 7th and 8th)
New York, NY 10011
212-462-1000


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I took a seat at the crowded bar and perused one of the most unique menus I have ever seen. Most of the dishes were offered in either a Chinese or Portugese style, which are the flavors of Macao, an area and cuisine I am not familiar with at all. I was very excited for this new culinary adventure.

The guy sitting next to me had a bowl of ribs that looked great, so I ordered that. The dish was Berkshire Pork Ribs, Portuguese style, braised with olives and prunes ($17). The dish was interesting. The sauce had a sweet and olive flavor to it, (there were in fact olives in the sauce,) and was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. I personally would have preferred some sort of spicy kick to it, but that is just my preference. The meat was tender, and fell off the bones nicely. The dish did not blow my mind, but it was fine.



I also ordered the Chinese style meatballs, which they call Pearl Balls ($8). These were three huge rice balls filled with pork. Again, this was a unique dish for me, and I thought the balls were great! They were actually the perfect complement to my Tsingtao beer.



Luckily for me the gals next to me were full and let me try two of their dishes too! I tried a little bit of their Portugese style meatball, which was a lamb ball filled with cheese ($8), and also one Chinese style shrimp in a crispy wrapper ($9). The meatball was fine, came in a tomato sauce, and the addition of cheese was a nice touch. The shrimp had a great salty flavor to it, which also went well with my beer.





In fact, I think the Macao Trading Co. is the perfect place to come for great drinks, and unique and tasty food. I do not know any other restaurant in NYC serving this type of fare. This is not only a wonderful addition to the Tribeca neighborhood, but to all of New York City.

Macao Trading Co.
311 Church St.
New York, NY 10013
212-431-8750
www.macaonyc.com

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